The Steelers traveled to Santa Clara to face off against the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday. The 49ers looked nothing like favorites after struggling to complete a drive. Here’s a recap of what ended up being a lackluster win for the Niners.
First Half
Four of the first five possessions for the 49ers ended with a turnover.
The game started with 49ers running back Matt Breida juggling a pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. T.J. Watt, with a lockdown coverage, caught the tipped pass and returned the ball for a handful of yards.
The Steelers began their day on the 49ers’ 33-yard line. With quarterback Mason Rudolph making his first NFL start, the field position made a huge impact.
However, the Steelers failed to capitalize with field position all day. The squad began the first half with a 3-0 lead from Chris Boswell’s 46-yard field goal.
After another field goal from 26 yards away, the Niners tried to rejuvenate the offense.
Garoppolo’s naked boots and half rollouts temporarily kept the Steelers linebackers on their heels. The 49ers used play-action to roll down the field in a no-huddle style. Robbie Gould added three points to the board after a 24-yard field goal.
Second Half
Going into the third quarter, Rudolph and the Steelers’ offense played less conservative. The new offensive style backfired at first as Rudolph threw into coverage. He was intercepted by K’Waun Williams.
The Niners took advantage as Jeff Wilson, Jr. shined on the drive. A one-yard run gave the 49ers a 10-6 lead with 9:17 left in the third quarter.
After a couple of punts, Rudolph connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster. His in-route turned into a 76-yard highlight touchdown. With the Steelers clicking on offense, the Steel Curtain fell.
The Niners responded quickly with Wilson Jr.’s second touchdown of the game.
After a couple more punts, the Steelers began to open up the playbook more. Rudolph connected with young Diontae Johnson for a 39-yard bomb.
As the end of the game approached, the Steelers were minutes away from their first win. However, James Conner tried breaking one extra yard to essentially ice the game … and fumbled the ball. Garoppolo finished the job with a game-winning touchdown pass to Dante Pettis.
The 49ers’ defense forced the Steelers into a turnover on downs. The Niners jump to 3-0 while the Steelers fall to 0-3.
